15-24-910 Floor area limit.

   No dry cleaning room in which a flammable solvent having a flashpoint below 100 degrees Fahrenheit (closed cup tester) is used shall have a floor area greater than 300 square feet.

(Prior code §  129.1-82)

15-24-920 Safety clearances.

   No dry cleaning building shall be located nearer than 100 feet to any building in which there is an institutional, assembly or open air assembly unit.

   At least one side of every dry cleaning building in which a flammable solvent having a flashpoint below 140 degrees Fahrenheit (closed cup tester) is used shall have a safety clearance of not less than 15 feet, and every side, which is nearer than 15 feet to another building or structure, or to a lot line, shall be a solid wall without any opening.

(Prior code §  129.1-83)

15-24-930 Dry cleaning buildings.

   Every dry cleaning building in which a flammable solvent having a flashpoint below 140 degrees Fahrenheit (closed cup tester) is used shall be of Type IA, IB or IC construction, with all walls, both exterior and interior, of construction the same as required for a fire wall. There shall be no basement or mezzanine in any such building. The surface of the first floor shall be higher than any walk, pavement or ground adjoining the building, and the first floor construction shall be such that there will be no air space or void in or beneath it. There shall be no doorway, window or other opening between any two dry cleaning rooms. Every doorway of any such building shall be provided with a noncombustible door and every window thereof shall be a fire window.

   Dry cleaning systems utilizing a solvent having a flashpoint of 140 degrees Fahrenheit and above (closed cup tester) may be employed in any business, mercantile, storage or industrial unit; provided, that the equipment installed therein shall conform to the standards for dry cleaning plants as recommended by the National Fire Protection Association's Pamphlet 32, 1964 Edition, as amended April, 1968, for the class designated therein as Class II; provided further that in buildings of mixed occupancy such dry cleaning systems shall be separated from other occupancies by construction of two-hour fire-resistive value; provided further, that doorways communicating with other occupancies or with a public corridor are provided with Class C fire-resistive doors; provided further, that rooms in which such systems are employed shall have windows in area equal to not less than ten percent of the floor area; provided further, that such windows shall be hung off center and made to operate by rate of rise device so that the sash will drop outward in the event of fire or explosion; provided further, that such windows shall open to street, alley or court or other space open to the sky; and provided further, that no such dry cleaning system shall be located in any part of a building used as a retail store in which more than two salespersons are employed.

   Dry cleaning systems in which solvents of the chlorinated hydrocarbon type are used may be employed in any business, mercantile, industrial or storage unit; provided, that such system is so constructed as to prevent the escape of any vapors into the atmosphere of the room, or shall be enclosed within airtight partitions, immediately surrounding the system, so as to prevent the escape of such vapors beyond the enclosed space; provided further, that in any case where such systems are used, adequate ventilation capable of changing the air in the room every three minutes shall be supplied; provided, that such systems shall exhaust to the outside atmosphere, and the exhaust outlet shall not be closer than 20 feet to the opening of any building; and provided further, that no such dry cleaning system shall be located in any dwelling or place of public assembly except in a dry cleaning room in a multiple-occupancy building complying with all of the following:

      (a)   The building shall have an approved standard automatic sprinkler system installed in all spaces.

      (b)   The room shall be isolated from any dwelling unit or place of public assembly by horizontal and vertical separation of a minimum of three hours.

      (c)   There shall be no direct-fired heating unit within the room.

      (d)   The handling of drums of cleaning solvent within the building shall be only by licensed operating engineers. This shall include charging and draining of cleaning system.

      (e)   Ventilation above specified shall be provided by supply and exhaust systems serving only the cleaning room.

(Prior code §  129.1-84; Amend Coun. J. 3-11-87, p. 40187)

15-24-940 Heating.

   Every boiler in a dry cleaning building in which a flammable solvent having a flashpoint below 140 degrees Fahrenheit (closed cup tester) is used shall be located in a separate building, or shall be separated by a fire wall from every dry cleaning room. The boiler shall be so situated that the line of travel for gases between it and the nearest opening into any dry cleaning room shall be not less than 20 feet. In every dry cleaning building, all heating shall be by steam or hot water pipes, equipped with guards as provided under Section 15-24-880 for a standard drying room.

(Prior code §  129.1-85)

15-24-950 Steam fire lines.

   Steam Fire Lines. Every dry cleaning building in which a flammable solvent having a flashpoint below 140 degrees Fahrenheit (closed cup tester) is used shall be provided with a high pressure steam boiler having a capacity of one horsepower for each 100 cubic feet contained in the largest dry cleaning room in the building. Such boiler shall be arranged and equipped to permit a steam pressure of not less than 30 pounds per square inch being maintained at all times during which dry cleaning operations are carried on in the building. Each dry cleaning room in the building shall be connected to such boiler by a steam pipe of not less than one and one-half inch diameter, either by a direct line to each room, or by a main or mains with branches. Where any such main or branch line passes through a wall, it shall be equipped with a tight-fitting journal solidly built into the wall construction. Discharge pipes shall be provided near the ceiling in each drying room, at intervals of not more than ten feet over the entire ceiling area, and in addition there shall be provided one discharge pipe near the ceiling over each washer and each extractor located or provided for in the room. Each such discharge pipe shall be at least two inches long and shall be directed downward. The discharge of steam into each drying room shall be controlled by a valve located outside the building.

   Water Tanks. There shall be an open tank not less than four feet long, two feet wide, and three feet deep near the entrance to every dry cleaning room which shall be so arranged and equipped that it may be kept filled with water to within four inches of its top at all times.

(Prior code §  129.1-86)

15-24-960 Valves.

   Every valve required for the control of the discharge of steam through a steam fire line into any dry cleaning room shall be marked with a metal sign which shall bear the words “STEAM FIRE LINE”. Such wording shall be in plainly legible bright red letters on a white background with letters not less than six inches high and with the principal strokes thereof not less than three-fourths inch in width.

(Prior code §  129.1-87)

15-24-970 General requirements.

   Drying rooms shall comply with the applicable provisions of Sections 15-24-850 to 15-24-890 inclusive, in addition to Section 15-24-980 of this Code.

(Prior code §  129.1-88)

15-24-980 Ventilation.

   Every dry cleaning room shall have means of natural ventilation as required under Section 15-28-260 for material heating rooms. In addition to the natural ventilation required by this section, there shall be a mechanical ventilating system which shall exhaust air from the room as provided by Chapter 13-176 of this Code.

(Prior code §  129.1-89)

 

Notes

13-176

The hyper-linked material is not part of the Chicago Building Code infobase and therefore is not included herein.  The material is included in other provisions of the Chicago Municipal Code.  The complete Chicago Municipal Code is available for purchase from American Legal Publishing in both print and Folio® versions.  Please click here for the appropriate American Legal order form in printable Adobe® PDF format.  For additional information, you may visit American Legal's website by clicking here.

ARTICLE X. CARRIERS FOR TRANSPORTATION OF FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS (15-24-990 et seq.)

15-24-990 Definitions.

   (a)   Tank Truck. Any motor vehicle used for the transportation of flammable liquids and which for such purpose is provided with a tank or tanks mounted on the frame or chassis of such vehicle.

   (b)   Tank Trailer. Any vehicle without its own motive power but drawn by a motor vehicle, used for the transportation of flammable liquids and which for such purpose is provided with a tank or tanks mounted thereon.

   (c)   Tank Semitrailer. A vehicle of the tank trailer type so designed and used in conjunction with a motor vehicle that when in use a part of its own weight and load is supported by the motor vehicle.

   (d)   Fuel Tank. The tank designed to contain only the fuel to be used by the engine of the truck upon which it is mounted.

(Prior code §  129.1-90)